Category: Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth was an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass guitar, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, and rounded out the core line-up. In their early career Sonic Youth were associated with the no wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound.

The band experienced relative commercial success and critical acclaim throughout their existence, continuing partly into the new millennium, including signing to major label DGC in 1990 and headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Sonic Youth have been praised for having “redefined what rock guitar could do”, using a wide variety of unorthodox guitar tunings and preparing guitars with objects like drum sticks and screwdrivers to alter the instruments’ timbre. The band is considered to be a pivotal influence on the alternative and indie rock movements.

In 2011 Ranaldo announced that the band was “ending for a while” following the separation of married couple Gordon and Moore. Thurston Moore updated and clarified the position in May 2014: “Sonic Youth is on hiatus. The band is a democracy of sorts, and as long as Kim and I are working out our situation, the band can’t really function reasonably.” Gordon refers several times in her 2015 autobiography Girl in a Band to the band having “split up”.

Looking for a noise rock band that can also be very melodic and also includes two great vocalists at the top of their game.

Thoughts on Album Cover:

It fits their genre well, but I’m not writing home about it or anything.

Want to Own on Vinyl?:

Yeah it’d be great on vinyl.

Final Thoughts:

Sister is one of those albums that suffers based on its number of tracks that are preludes to really great tracks, for example Pacific Coast Highway is not a bad song, but would be nothing if not followed up by Hot Wire My Heart. It’s a great noise album, one that I’m sure has influenced a lot of my favourite artists. But it’s just that: noise. It doesn’t always make for the best experience. A great album to have spinning on the record player, not an amazing one for driving to work.